Lloyd Chambers as well as some forum members over at DPReview say the latest updates have killed a7R III eye autofocus, so I was concerned about whether a7 III video autofocus might also have been affected. Anyhow, face detect AF seems to work the same as before: which is to say that if my chin... Continue Reading →
Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 FE Autofocus Test
A down and dirty autofocus test with the a7 III, firmware v.3.0 (both camera and lens). The Samyang's a pretty chubby affair - it just barely clears the base plate on my Zhiyun Crane Plus - but is remarkably light for an 85mm f/1.4. When it comes to autofocus, the Samyang isn't a speed demon... Continue Reading →
Voigtlander Macro APO-Lanthar 65mm f/2 in HDR (must be viewed on HDR device)
It's mad just how clean HLG HDR videos uploaded to YouTube are when compared to standard dynamic range ones. And a by-product of the exceptional local contrast happens to be that your lenses will for the most part look much more detailed in 4K HDR than in ordinary 4K. So while the Voigtlander is crazy-good... Continue Reading →
Dust!
I talk about shooting 8-bit HLG HDR video with the a7 III, VESA’s meaningless HDR specs, my brand new gimbal, lenses I seldom shot with before and why I’m using them now, rec.709 and the film look, the best way to evaluate your lenses, the glaring absence of affordable HDR grading monitors and whether dust... Continue Reading →
Saigon in HLG HDR
More luscious HDR goodness, this time shot with the 16-35mm GM, 50mm f/1.4 Planar and 85mm f/1.8 lenses. Mostly architecture around Ho Chi Minh City from the French colonial era. Forget everything you heard about HLG being backward compatible: the clip must be viewed on an HDR display or it will look dreadful. https://youtu.be/3agRiX5kD5g "Ruby"... Continue Reading →
How to Expose for Skin Tones HLG HDR
Experts recommend anywhere between 55-60 IRE for skin tones, but in flat lighting, it might be beneficial to go as high as 65-70 IRE to prevent the image from becoming dull and lifeless. Naturally, one must take care not to overexpose, or the image will appear washed out. https://youtu.be/BRiH_MHmoUU
How to Publish HLG HDR Projects to YouTube Using Compressor
Occasionally, YouTube doesn’t recognize the master files I create in Final Cut Pro as HLG HDR, so I’ve taken to uploading my HDR projects to YouTube through Compressor. 1) Send completed project to Compressor from Final Cut Pro. 2) Click on project. 3) Once project has finished loading, click on ‘add’ under settings in the... Continue Reading →
Just Go Out and Shoot!
In December of 2017, I purchased the Ninja Inferno to get 4K 60p out of my GH5 and to be able to use the recorder as an HDR grading monitor but things didn’t quite go as planned... https://youtu.be/G5TjHzGbVnw
Saigon to a Cuban Beat: HLG HDR Sample Footage
Sample footage, Sony a7 III HLG HDR. To be seen correctly, must be viewed on an HDR display. SDR (standard dynamic range) rec. 709 video contains at most around six or seven stops of dynamic range while HLG HDR video is capable of as many as 17.5 stops - though both the Sony and my... Continue Reading →
How to Upload Sony HLG HDR to YouTube from Final Cut Pro X in 2 Minutes
Note: Apparently, FCPX update 10.4.6 was supposed to finally address the stability issue that has plagued Final Cut for so long, whereby sharing to YouTube from within the app would inevitably fail; nevertheless, as of this writing, I still suggest making a master file. Update: Occasionally, my master files weren't recognized as HLG HDR videos by YouTube... Continue Reading →
Workflow: Leeming LUT One – Sony HLG BT.2020 for Rec.709 in FCP X
Note: If you'd like to upload HLG HDR videos to YouTube, click here. 1) Import files. 2) Select clips in the timeline and in the inspector click on Color Space Override then select Rec.709 from the drop-down menu. 3) Select clips in the timeline and in the inspector, click on Camera LUT then select Leeming... Continue Reading →
The Worst Codec Ever Made
https://youtu.be/XKNuVq2npXs "Cupido" by Frank Guerrero License
Just How Awful Is Sony’s 8-Bit XAVC?
We'll find out soon enough!
The Sony a7 III is a Phenomenal Video Camera
I've never enjoyed shooting video so much as I have with the Sony a7 III. It's been trouble-free from the get-go - and while it would be a treat if Sony offered a better codec in the a7s III, I like the fact that the 8-bit files take up so little space on my hard... Continue Reading →
Sony Planar T* FE 50mm f/1.4 ZA Sample Footage
https://youtu.be/RSEZ3R7dXAk "Raag" by Vinod Prasanna, Okey Szoke, PompeyLicense
Sony 85mm f/1.8 Sample Footage
Shot with the Lishuai C-700RSV Bi-Color LED and Yongnuo YN216. Picture profile 1, Cine2. https://youtu.be/K11_mlwN3A4 Malibu Love Nest by LunaLicense
Sony a7 III: Model Thuỳ Dương
A screen grab from my latest shoot with a quick color correction in post. It was around a quarter to six in the evening, the sun had already set, and I wanted to accentuate the blue in the sky, so I set the Lishuai bi-color LED to 3200 Kelvin. In order to remain outside the... Continue Reading →
Lishuai C-700RSV 20-Inch Bi-Color LED
Sony a7 III, 85mm f/1.8, Lishuai C-700RSV
The Daejeon Chronicles 